Eye safety!

We are officially into the festive season. While we are busy shopping new clothes, food, fireworks etc we forget that we need to follow some simple eye safety rules.

Eye safety can be easily overlooked, sometimes to our own detriment and a lifetime of regret. Imagine that yesterday you could see perfectly well, but after an accident, today you’re only partially sighted — to the extent that you can no longer drive or read. Your life has changed dramatically, never to be the same again.

Now imagine that you could have prevented all of this simply by wearing safety glasses or observing other eye safety rules.

• Keep all household chemicals, paints, pesticides, fertilizers tools, etc. locked up away from children.
• Almost anything that can splash into the eye can damage it. Wear protective eyewear when working with: detergents, cleaning solvents, etc. Never mix cleaning agents.
• Car batteries contain sulphuric acid and produce hydrogen gas while being charged. This is one of the gasses used to send rockets into space. Always wear protective eyewear when working with batteries. Know the proper procedures for handling batteries and jump-starting cars
• Never remove Safety guards from power equipment. Wear protective eyewear to protect against flying particles.
• Pick up all yard debris before using lawn equipment and wear protective eyewear while operating it. Children should not play in areas where lawn equipment is being used.
• Children and adults should use sports-specific eyewear to avoid sports related accidents.
• Consumer fireworks cause 2,000 eye injuries per year. The best protection is to leave fireworks to professionals.
• Ultraviolet and infrared light from the sun, welding arcs and tanning beds can damage your eyes; it may also contribute to age-related macular degeneration. Use proper eye protection and never look directly at a solar eclipse
• Never allow children to play with Laser pointers they are not toys. The light from a laser pointer aimed into the eye can be more damaging than staring directly into the sun.
• In the car, use infant and child safety seats, safety belts and shoulder harnesses. Keep children in the back seat away from air bags.
• Keep older children’s toys away from younger children. Do not let children of any age use flying toys and projectile-firing toys without adult supervision. Three out of four of children’s eye injuries happen when no adult is present.
• To avoid eye infection do not share eye makeup or eye drops with anyone. Many bacteria, including the cold sore viruses (Herpes), can spread to your eyes and damage your vision.

Always follow the mantra” Prevention is better than Cure”. Save yourself the regret and spread the message!